The present invention pertains to a device for and a method of supporting a wrist or a wrist and hand of a computer user as the user operates a computer mouse. In addition, the present invention pertains to a method of operating a computer mouse using the device.
Computers are widely used both in business and industry and for personal use. Many people use computers for extensive hours in their employment. Much of this work involves using a computer mouse to cause various actions to take place. By way of example, persons preparing drawings by computerized drafting and people doing computer assisted design work frequently spend several hours a day operating a computer mouse. Prolonged use of a computer mouse is tiring to the wrist and hand of the user and can lead to such difficulties as carpal tunnel syndrome. It has been found that if the wrist or wrist and hand of the computer user are supported at a slightly higher level than the surface on which the mouse is operated, fewer problems of tiring and disability may be encountered.
Mouse pads are known which include a raised portion at the front of the pad for supporting the wrist or wrist and hand of the user. However, this raised portion frequently is not fixedly adhered to the surface of the mouse pad, and so might be displaced. Further, the user might wish to move the mouse to a position on the mouse pad in which the wrist or wrist and hand are no longer supported by the raised portion. Further, someone who moves to different computers, for example a temporary employee, might sometimes be called upon to work at a computer which does not have a support for the wrist or wrist and hand.
It has been known to use a wrist sweatband, such as frequently worn by athletes or by persons engaging in fitness exercises, on the wrist to elevate the wrist during operation of the computer mouse. Such sweatbands are generally fairly thin and narrow, and so provide only limited support of the wrist of the computer user.
The present invention is a device for and method of supporting a wrist or a wrist and hand of a computer user as the user operates a computer mouse on a support surface. The present invention is also a method of operating a computer mouse using the device. In accordance with the present invention, a device for supporting a wrist or wrist and hand of a computer user includes a sleeve member having a length sufficient to cover at least a portion of the wrist or the wrist and hand of the user and a circumference sufficient to encircle that portion. The sleeve member has sufficient elasticity to permit it to be moved over the hand of the user and onto the portion of the wrist or the wrist and heel of the hand and to grippingly engage that portion so as to permit the device to support the wrist or the wrist and hand of the user on the support surface as the user operates the computer mouse.
In preferred embodiments, the sleeve member has a defined first section for overlying the underside of the encircled portion of the wrist or the wrist and heel of the hand during operation of the computer mouse and a defined second section for overlying the upper side of the encircled portion, and one of the first section and the second section of the sleeve member includes a cushion. By positioning the defined section having the cushion adjacent the underside of the wrist or the wrist and heel of the hand, the wrist or the wrist and hand are significantly elevated from the support surface by the cushion, thus improving the comfort of the user of the computer mouse and lessening the likelihood of an ailment such a carpal tunnel syndrome. However, if the user prefers, the sleeve member can be placed on the wrist or the wrist and hand with the defined section having the cushion adjacent the upper surface of the wrist or wrist and hand so that only the thickness of the uncushioned sleeve member supports the wrist or wrist and hand.
The method of supporting a wrist or wrist and hand of a computer user as the user is operating a computer mouse on a support surface in accordance with the present invention includes placing at least a portion of the wrist or the wrist and hand of the user within a sleeve member having a length sufficient to cover the portion of the wrist or wrist and hand and a circumference sufficient to encircle the portion of the wrist or wrist and hand and having sufficient elasticity to permit the sleeve member to be moved over the hand of the user and onto the portion of the wrist or the wrist and hand and to grippingly engage that portion. The sleeve member has a defined section which in one preferred embodiment includes a cushion. The defined section is placed on the support surface to support the wrist or wrist and hand of the user during operation of the computer mouse. The present invention further includes a method of operating a computer mouse on a support surface while having the above device on the wrist or the wrist and hand.